Returned
by oncerfandom
Summary: When Regina casts the second curse to send everyone home to back were they belong, one is missing. Frankenstien goes back to the land without colour leaving Red heartbroken and determined to find a way to him. With the help from Belle and Baelfire they stumble across an item which is one of the last portals of it's kind in their realm. Fortunately it's last owner is Rumpelstiltskin


_A cool breeze swept Ruby's dark chestnut hair into her face; her delicate skinny fingers pulled the strands from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her feet dangled over the dark murky waters of the Storybrooke docks. She could sense his presence beside her as she sat looking at her leather black books while Dr Whale looked out at the silhouettes of boats swaying in the breeze._

"_Monster to monster." Her voice echoed in her mind._

Her heart pounding she sat up too quickly in her bed. The sheets lying on the floor; she thought of how she must have kicked them off in the night. Her head felt like it was bouncing as she leaned over her bedside and looking out of the window.

The sky was a bright blue with a couple of pale white clouds that sleepily drifted across the wide sky. Her good hearing could let her hear the birds that tweeted their morning song in the tall pine trees outside her cottage and how a deer had snapped a branch on its way to the meadow.

How many days had it been now since the small town of Storybrooke had been swept from where they originated from. Thirty one days, she counted on a blank page that lay on her bedside table. The tallying had been Granny's idea, something about remembering the life they had in the other world.

Of course herself, Granny, Snow and Charming and the rest of the gang had returned to the Enchanted Forest; a world which they had been torn from just over twenty eight years ago. Except one. Dr Whale or Frankenstein had returned to the land without colour; well that's what Regina called it when she was explaining where the popular doctor had disappeared to. A piece of Red had broken when she politely asked the mayor…queen where he was, using the excuse of her grandmother's health to get her an answer. However the queen just said that the curse worked like the first that Frankenstein was in the Enchanted Forest when she cast it. But the new curse had returned everyone to their original land, where they were born and raised.

Snow had tried to tell Red that there was no other way to cross paths again. That even Jefferson's hat couldn't help. All ties with the other worlds were cut the moment they all travelled home. She had tried everything, Jefferson's hat, wishing on the Blue Fairy, she even went as far as climbing the beanstalk in search of a bean. Nevertheless the girl returned home empty handed and depressed.

"Red, honestly I'm reading through books as fast as I can. I even have Baelfire helping me." Belle stated when Red had come over to their castle, hoping for answers on other ways to travel. True Belle had taken on the stepmother place while both his parent's were dead. She even had him calling her mom. It was strange, considering Baelfire being hundreds of years older than the woman. But he looked up to her, he was grateful that she brought out the good in his father and that she was a perfect role model if he were younger and only growing up.

Baelfire slowly entered the library quite annoyed that he still had to climb hundreds of steps and that his father hadn't invented a lift or escalator. Both women turned hopefully to the 'young' man as they saw what they thought were three finished books in his arms. He set them down carefully on a nearby table before turning to the women confused.

"What? Have I got ink all over my face? I might have fallen asleep on 'Mystical Items in the different realms" He asked them, confessing to his immature mistake of staying up to the early hours of the morning reading. Belle giggled behind the back of her hand before shaking her head to him. Red however didn't find it funny.

"Did you find anything useful?" She asked, Baelfire could argue that she demanded. Her eyes bright but her face sad and tired looking.

Baelfire carefully found the tattered lilac ribbon poking out of the book; he slowly flipped the book open to the page where he had bookmarked with the ribbon. The dust particles released into the fresh air of the library, hastily he waved them away before finding the passage he was looking for. The tiny ink was hand written and hard to read, luckily Belle had found a magnifying glass in one of the cupboards of the library.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Origin unknown, the Looking Glass is very rare and only a few have ever been found and recorded. A mirror like portal that can transport one into another world of their liking. The three ever recorded all different. One a compact mirror, another tall body mirror and the last a hand mirror. Only one remains in the Enchanted Forest. The hand mirror, otherwise known as the enchanted mirror has other properties which include letting one see whatever is said to the mirror even if it is in another realm. Described as an ordinary mirror, bluish sliver in colour and has beautiful decorations. Last recorded in the possession of the dark one." Baelfire finished the last sentence with a pause after 'possession'. He had only read the first few sentences last night before putting in his bookmark and falling asleep.

Red gasped and the colour returned to her face as she grinned and clapped her hands together. Belle smiled at the girl overwhelmed and shocked but Belle's smile faded as she realised one simple detail.

"The dark one's possession. Red that could be the past dark one, possibly not Rumple." She whispered, in the corner of her eye Baelfire flinched at the name of his father. He hated when people spoke of him, usually because they spoke of the terrible man who was drunk with power and not the man who sacrificed his life to save his loved ones and the whole town of Storybrooke.

Red's excitement vanished and she sat down looking at her hands. It reminded her of her constant dreams she kept having of the night she said with Dr Whale looking out to the boats as the stars glittered in the night sky before he leaned in, cupped her face and kissed her. It was then their relationship started but it was ever so secret; which made their kisses ten times more passionate or sweet.

"But I'm sure myself and Baelfire can have a look around. The dark one has been around for hundreds of years it is also possible that he is the one they are speaking of in that book. Baelfire can you check the date of that book for me?" Belle asked politely with a sweet smile that he always looked for in a mother. He nodded and looked at the cover of the book.

"1516 4TH of August." He turned to them and read out. Red looked slightly more depressed than when she arrived. Baelfire set the book down gently and drifted over to Red before pulling her in for a hug, her hair smelling like roses; ironic the girl was called Rose Red.

"Red… you know my father became the dark one the year of the ogre war… 1397… The mirror is here somewhere." He whispered in her ear before she let go and squealed like a child. She ran to hug her best friend who almost toppled over. Belle laughed and said something about starting looking for it tomorrow. As outside the window the sun was hitting the horizon casting a peach glow across the land. For one night, Red hoped she would sleep and not wake up heart pounding.


End file.
